5 tips on how to develop self-discipline

Developing more self-discipline. That is what i want to address in this post (5 tips on how to develop self-dicipline). I have blamed a lot of not getting things done on my lack of self-discipline. i know a lot of people have that, it is so familiar. Knowing you have a paper to write by the end of the week, it’s wednesday and you still haven’t started yet. You have a resolution to rise early, but you still hit the snooze button. you gave yourself the goal of losing a few pounds, but a couple of weeks later you hear yourself calling your friend and canceling the gym appointment.

At some point it hits (again) and you say ‘ uughl i wish i was more self-disciplined. It is true. discipline is one of the most important things we can develop in our lives. Especially when we say we want to think better, be better and/or do better. Without a certain amount of self-control and willingness to do things better on a continuous basis we don’t get the momentum to achieve what we want.

So how can we stay disciplined when it counts and help ourselves achieve our goals?

To answer this i looked at the go-getter people in my life and tried to remember what kinda stuck with me from all the inspirational video’s i’ve been watching lately. What little things helped them and can help you and me eat healthier, move more, create art more consistently or help us speak up when we know we should.

Now i know it will not happen overnight. That we are not suddenly grandiosely disciplined and successful. But each little bit counts right? And what i also know i don’t want to be thinking “i wish i was more disciplined” anymore. So here are some techniques i will use and hopefully they will help you too.

1. We need to understand that motivation is temporary.

We’ve all had days where we wake up motivated and ready to conquer the day. but there are other days where you don’t seem to get yourself out of bed. And if you look at it that way you can be in the group of people that says “i’ll do it when i feel like it” or you can say “i’ll do it so that i’ll feel like doing it”. You want to find yourself in the second group, because the first group will never get anything done. They are there still waiting on the moment where they will feel like it. The second group moves their discipline and goes for it.
Examples to move:
– Even if you don’t feel like working out, just put your gym clothes on. It will trigger you to start
– Count backwards from 5 to 1 and do it
– Challenge yourself and Ask yourself am i doing what i am doing now because i need to do them (for my goals) or am i waiting for the right moment

2. Get yourself started by starting small

Usually when we have committed, we want to do it all. Be the whole different person by tomorrow. Tackling the complex exercise routine. Coding the whole program. Writing entire
blogs in 3 days. While it is good having these goals, it may intimidate you if you are still at your starting point. If you find yourself not starting as part of your lack of self- discipline try to go and start in a smaller chunk. Example If you want to lose weight, start by walking 30 min every day (put your clothes on). Don’t worry about calories and other complex stuff. Just start walking. Increasing your heart rate for 30 minutes in this way already has a huge impact on you. you will feel more committed to yourself because you kept your promise to yourself and in extend you feel more confident to add other things. like for example only drink water instead of lemonade and other sugar added drinks.

3. Celebrate your small wins

It is hard to stay disciplined if you never feel like you are getting any pay pay off. If along the way you have small wins and you don’t celebrate yourself or let somebody know then your brain says “Well maybe this isn’t for me”. Let’s say you are a writer and you finish a chapter, share your excitement with a friend and celebrate. Talk about the process and how good it felt when you finished. Maybe go for a drink. (and get back to it after that) But also celebrate your small wins. Discipline can be joyful. it doesn’t have to be hard.

4. Be strategic and have a plan

A lot of us begin the day by rushing out without an effective plan.
Stop that. have a plan for the day. know at least what 3 things you are going to do and check if they contribute to your overall goals and values as a person. Before you start you day, take a moment to visualize them being done at the end of the day

5. Remember your why

You have planned the things you need to do and you know what you need to do and at this moment you find yourself maybe not wanting to do it. Recognize that this is the moment to remember your why. Why do you need to do it? it’s for your goal right? Do you want more money? Or are you doing it for your loved one? Surely there is someone you love more than yourself and for who you are willing to get over this momentarily lap of emotion. Or do you want to be succesfull? Also remember point 1. This is the moment where you can move so you can feel like it. When our reasons are strong enough, they can get us through just about anything.

Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most

I am sure there are many other ways to get yourself to be more disciplined. I’ve written this post for the selfish reason to get myself more disciplined, but in extend I hope that it gets you and your butt moving. Get your goals. Be more self-disciplined. Other people have done it and you can do it too.